| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Luis Aquilino Gonzalez[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1980-07-14)July 14, 1980 (age 45) | ||
| Place of birth | Hialeah, Florida, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–2001 | SMU Mustangs | ? | (48) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002 | San Jose Earthquakes | 8 | (0) |
| 2003 | Bodens BK | ? | (8) |
| 2004 | Sporting Cristal | ? | (5) |
| 2005–2006 | Colorado Rapids | 22 | (2) |
| 2007 | Miami FC | 26 | (4) |
| 2008 | Minnesota Thunder | 29 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 1997 | United States U17 | 3 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2012–2018 | FC Dallas (academy director) | ||
| 2018–2021 | FC Dallas | ||
| 2021–2022 | United States (assistant) | ||
| 2023–2024 | San Jose Earthquakes | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of July 10, 2019 ‡ National team caps and goals as of July 10, 2019 | |||
Luis Aquilino Gonzalez (born July 14, 1980) is an Americansoccer coach and former player who was recently the head coach ofSan Jose Earthquakes inMLS.
Gonzalez was born inHialeah,Florida, to a Peruvian father and an American mother.[2]
Gonzalez represented theUnited States U17s at the1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship making 3 appearances in their group stage exit.[3][4][5]He played four years ofcollege soccer atSouthern Methodist University, emerging in 2001, his senior season, to win theHermann Trophy as college soccer's best player.[citation needed] He had 128 points during his career, including 48 goals and 32 assists.
Upon graduating, Gonzalez was drafted 6th overall in the2002 MLS SuperDraft by theSan Jose Earthquakes. Gonzalez failed to make a mark with the Earthquakes, however, playing only 47 minutes in his rookie season. In the offseason he was acquired by theColumbus Crew and made the roster, but could not agree to a deal.
He left the United States for Sweden, where he signed with second-division clubBodens BK. Gonzalez scored 8 goals and had 4 assists in his first season in Europe; along withLeighton O'Brien, Gonzalez was one of the most respected players in the squad.[citation needed] He left Boden in late October 2003. Gonzalez joined PeruvianSporting Cristal, where he was acquired to be a backup striker. Gonzalez appeared in the prestigiousCopa Libertadores tournament, playing against the likes of Boca Juniors during his time.
Gonzalez came back to MLS in 2005. He signed with theColorado Rapids, but following the 2006 season he was waived. He signed forMiami FC in 2007.
In December 2018, Gonzalez was named Head Coach ofFC Dallas in MLS, earning a promotion from his academy director role. Gonzalez has adopted a style of play dubbed 'Luchi Ball' by fans, emphasizing possession and counter-pressing.[6][7]
Gonzalez coached Dallas to playoff appearances in 2019 and 2020. On September 19, 2021, he was fired by FC Dallas after missing the playoffs.[8]
On December 4, 2021, Gonzalez was appointed assistant coach of theUnited States men's national soccer team.[9]
On August 17, 2022, it was announced that Gonzalez would take over as head coach of theSan Jose Earthquakes prior to the start of the 2023Major League Soccer season. He would officially join the club following the conclusion of the2022 FIFA World Cup.
Gonzalez qualified his team to theplayoffs in his first season,[10] but the Earthquakes were eliminated bySporting Kansas City on penalties in the first edition of the Wild-card round as part of the new playoff format.[11] However, in2024, he was only able to coach his team to three wins in their first 19 matches and a placement at the bottom of the league table, and Gonzalez was fired on June 24.[12]
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||
| FC Dallas | December 16, 2018 | September 19, 2021 | 87 | 29 | 26 | 32 | 129 | 121 | +8 | 033.33 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | January 1, 2023 | June 24, 2024 | 59 | 14 | 17 | 28 | 72 | 102 | −30 | 023.73 |
| Total | 146 | 43 | 43 | 60 | 201 | 223 | −22 | 029.45 | ||